I'lll be graduating in 2 months.

In Boston, it's the season where leaves turn pink. The change of seasons can metaphorically translate to the unraveling of a new chapter in my life.... or will it?  In less then two months I'll be graduating...

Next Stop...... ?

This will make you jealous of my NYE

The next best thing to getting your wisdom teeth pulled during vacation, is getting your teeth pulled one day before New Years Eve. I was fortunate enough to undergo this procedure today. I suggest everyone do the same. Decide on a whim one day before your molar extraction, as yours truly did. (aided by the fact that our family dentist would be on vacation.. and the next available appointment day would be too close to my journey back to school)

Basically, I didn't realize what was up until I was already lying on the dental chair this morning, with my mouth open, and the dental assistant meticulously applying numbing goo on my gums.

And then it really dawned on me. "holy shit, I can't feast tomorrow night then" 

but that was quickly interrupted by a plying sound and pressure. 

Suppressing that internal struggle of "this is freaky, but I am also almost a quarter century old so I cannot freak out" wasn't too easy, so I focused on worse situations like the news segment I saw where this lady in china went to get 4 teeth pulled, and the dentist pulled out 16.. like really?

but I digress. I just had my two upper babies taken out. and apparently I don't have roots at all for bottom molars... *thank god*  

But this entry isn't about my experience.  It's about attachment. After the procedure, my dentist popped something into a tiny blue cup handed it to me and said "here are ur teeth, you can bleach them if you want"

I peered in and saw the two ugliest things I have ever seen in my whole life. 

And I was utterly fascinated by them.

I'll spare anyone pictures... but let's say now I can SOMEWHAT understand the utterly repulsive newfeed image a friend posted a while ago of their pulled-out wisdom teeth. Because... these little bloody- ceramic like pieces... with miniscule slivers of gum still around it, are GROWN BY ME.

ok. that was like.... really really weird.

So after the procedure, my family proceeded to go to two different appliance retailers to search for a new fridge, go grocery shopping at two places, and get jack-in-the-box.  All the whiles, i'm sitting in teh car, spitting into a plastic bag and changing gauze every 30 min.  Because..... other than the fact that you can't eat, it's not that bad.  Even now.. like 8 hours later, all I feel is just a dull numb.  I haven't even taken a painkiller yet. 

Maybe I just have lame nerves or something.... but I'll still keep my fingers crossed for tomorrow.

jellybeans

my mother’s class did a gift exchange with another class during Halloween. presents for presents. and on the day of the exchange,  20 crinkling bags of treats from my mother’s class were presented to their neighboring class. imagine! 20 beaming eyes and thoughts bursting with anticipation on what their fellow friends next door would give to them in return… but…..to much dismay, the other teacher presented, one jar of jellybean for my mother’s whole class to share.  Luckily, with her years of experience, my mom had an emergency stash of treats saved for desperate situations.  Soon enough, tiny hands were each grasping their own share of sweets, enough to make their taste buds sing.

and this is also why I saw this jar of jellybeans on the living room table this winter break.

I dove for it when I saw it, then the 14 year old in me held me back. I looked up, and sheepishly asked mother for permission to eat it. No. she says. ok.  3 hours later, I give another try.  This time my mom asks. “why?”

I don’t know, I always had a fondness for jelly beans. I think they are like a candy cheatsheet…. for indecisive people.  You have 1 bean that represents a whole candy flavor. orange for orange candy, bubblegum for bubble gum, pina colado. popcorn for popcorn. granted the taste of other candies are not completely replicable… but definitely close enough. Think… it takes 7 minutes to finish a strawberry flavored dumdum lollypop, in 7 minutes you can have at least 4 DIFFERENT flavored jelly beans…. it’s like going to the international exhibit in Disneyworld to see the most spectacular landmarks of the world all in ONE day. saving airfare, living cost and most importantly time.

imagine a world without jelly beans. the horror!

and after my explanation. she said ok. 

I’m on a plane. Random Thoughts.

Currently, I’m several thousand feet off the ground.  Yes, this does metaphorically elaborate my elation in returning home after 6 months of the east coast.  However, my initial sentence also applies in a literal manner. Hello blog again, I’m flying on American Airlines, heading east to west. I’ve kicked off my oxford boots in anticipation of the long 5 hour ride and gotten quite cozy in my 2 by 3 space. 

For the 8347392th time I praise the convenience (and presence) of my gorgeous slick ultrabook.  Obviously, when (battery life) is at stake, each second of technology usage is greatly savored.   For about 1.3 hours, I peruse though a study protocol. Work. Telephone. Conference. Call. Tomorrow. At. Eleven.   Clearly my  20 day ‘summer’ comes with big quotes. I really like it though. I feel…… productive at life.  The flight attendant comes down the aisle… pushing his cart… briskly? As he walks closer. “food and snacks for sale”.  Forrr sallleeeee.

No wonder.

How much is that pastrami sandwich? The man behinds me asks “10 dollar sir”.   Wow. And yet he gets it.   The Stomach is all-powerful.  We do all we can to satisfy it.

People say the brain is the command center of the body. I think the stomach is the command center of LIFE.

Honestly, think about it.  We live to earn money, and we earn money to eat, we eat to satisfy our stomachs.  When we are hungry, the stomach sends signals to our brain to tell us to eat.  Homeless people skip on the working part, and go to food shelters to eat. … eating to satisfy the aches in their tummies.

Food is what makes the world go round.

The same man laughs obnoxiously loud behind me at the ongoing movie.  He interrupts my epiphany.   I look up at a screen, and see two bearded man chatting.  Without the $2 headphones, I do not get it and am clearly missing out.  Dialogue is an amazing thing.

I look to the left out my window. DO I SEE THE MOON?  On further squint.. alas, it is the tail light of the airplanes’ wings.  I got excited for nothing.

The flight attendant with the actual free drinks finally comes within my proximity.  Milk ginger ale or orange.  Today is Wednesday…. which means I do not eat healthy.  GIngerale it is.

I ask her for only a little bit of ice, thinking that the ginger ale would be poured into my cup and thus allot me with a sufficient amount of liquid to last me throughout the rest of the flight.   Surprisingly, she gives me an empty cup with two lonely ice cubes and the can of soda.

Immediately I glance at the snoring mother daughter combo next to me and visualize many unacceptable ways to claw my way out into the aisle without waking them up when nature calls.

Should I take the can?

Whatever.

Excuse me now as I enjoy my $170 gingerale and free plane ride back to sunny California.

NYR interm check part I

One measly entry since the start of 2012 is really quite unacceptable.  School and work is the culprit. Luckily, as of 1 week ago, I am officially halfway done with my master’s degree! whoopee!

I actually have several topics in mind, but I figure the most appropriate first entry after such a long hiatus should be an interim check on my New Year’s Resolutions made approximately 6 months ago.  Without further adieu, let me begin.

1. Sleep at least 6.5 hours each night

The amount of sleep MAY approximate out to 6.5 hours a night each week; however it usually patterns something along the lines of this: Sleep a whopping amount the first few days of the week, come Wednesday “oh shits! Everything is due!" then followed by two days of misery squeezing the last bit of information out of my brain during the wee hours of the morning. Luckily summer is here, and with that comes the perk of a slumber buffet. All you can sleep. No, actually not really at all. This must be worked upon. Also my brain has somehow trained itself to ignore 5 of the 10 alarm options available.  How come this oddly reminds me of the workings of antibiotic resistance bacteria? Is there such thing is Alarm resistance? Why am I rambling? Intervention is needed.

Conclusion: 1/2 Satisfied

2. Budget money wisely using Mint.com

My budgeting equivalents to a roller coaster ride. During good months, I budget like crazy, and consistently visit Mint.com while commending myself over my thriftness.  During bad (splurge-filled) months, I barely record any purchases. Notice the guilt relieving pattern?  Unfortunately, I recently discovered the extreme comfort and chic style of Zara apparels.  While my closet has been getting quite cozy, my monetary conscious obviously, is spacing out… a lot

Conclusion: 1/2 Satisfied

3. Get a part time job & 4. Settle down what I am supposed to do this summer

5 hours a day each week, I stare at two elongated monitors slaving over data. No... It’s actually really interesting, and I am extremely content at my current academic state. I love my job and I am consistently amazed that I found such an interesting field.  

Conclusion: Check! Check!

Stay tuned for New Year Resolutions #5-11 next time!

New Year Resolution 2012

1. Sleep at least 6.5 hours each night
2. Budget money wisely using Mint.com
3. Get a part time job
4. Settle down what I am supposed to do this summer
5. Decrease the amount of time spent youtube browsing and online chatting. 
6. Reach Yelp elite... which means I need to be more consistent with writing yelp reviews. 
7. Write at least 2 blog entries a month.
8. Get at least 3 hours of good studying done each day.
9. Be consistent with my skincare regimin
10. Focus constantly during class.
11. 3 full glasses of plain water each day

The one where I am all over the place.

I've been sitting here for about ten minutes struggling over what to write. Boston you have sucked the literary muse out of me... or... perhaps it is the guilty conscious lingering over my head counting down the hours until I begin my whirlwind of exams. Two on Tuesday, Two on Wednesday, One on Thursday.

I could riddle off hundreds of reasons why I didn't complete my projected list of studying today, but it can easily be summed up in one sentence. Procrastination got the best of me.... including me presently (hence why I am on this blog).

But that’s okay, I still have 24 hours to prove four months of work. A bit of positivity can hopefully leverage me through tonight... I don't think I'll crash anytime soon as I have stayed up until four for four CONSECUTIVE nights.  (what a mouthful).   Jaw drop.   Anyway here is a little note to myself in the future.

Hi Gina,

I hope you did well on your  exams.

Hope you're happy because I sure am envious of you right now... being able to do whatever you wish.

Pay your January rent.

Love, Gina

And here are some recent food pictures I took while dining at Boston Cafeteria

meh.. I'm going to make some instant noodles.

Keeping my sugars high but guilt low.

School stress, studying, social life and impending deadlines are recipes for breakouts.  Intermix that with my everlasting taste for sweets.   Tis the season.  I'm sad to say my skin has recently been in a somewhat loosing battle.  So I'm starting to take action not just topically, but regulating my intakes as well. Here are a mashup of fast ways I try to curb my sweet tooth with skin health(ier) foods.  I am a extremely lazy person in terms of food preparation. IE. I will refuse to whip up a healthy delicious shake  because I don't want to spend the time taking out the frozen fruit, blending them and then spend 3 minutes cleaning the blender... so terrible.

- Vitamins. vitamin C. gummy vites. I look forward to taking them each day like 'candy', obviously the recommended dosage per day.
- Hot green tea with honey (with lemon?) instead of hot chocolate or coffee.
- Frozen grapes taste like frozen juice pops
- Citrus. This may be biased but I absolutely love oranges and orange juice.  These can curb my juice cravings.
- Thought process on buying that expensive basket of strawberries.   Is 3 dollars worth it?  Now think, are 3 dollars worth of dryers peppermint limited edition ice cream worth it? (AUGHHH MIND DILEMMA) Choose the berries.
- Organic unsweetened apple sauce and sweeten them with honey. Add a dash of cinnamon for extra flavoring.
- Fruit Yogurt on toasted bagels instead of cream cheese or jam.
- Use mint to "freshen" up your drinks instead of relying on carbonation.  ie. Lemons, Mint leaves and Honey makes a delicious cold drink.

Basically, I revolve around fruit and using honey as a sugar substitute. These may or may not be the "right way" persay. But  it keeps my taste buds satisfied and my senses guilt free. I am always down to new ideas so let me know if any of you have skin healthy ways of curbing your sweet tooth as well!

Through my vintage eyes: Guess where I am in NY?

It's been a while since I did a photography entry.... actually, I haven't done any since moving to the East Coast.  Why not start with my recent trip to New York.  Here are some more abstracty scenes that I was able to find throughout New York. Can you guess where these were taken?

Answers to come soon :)

I'll be late if I will.

I heard a knock around 9:15 this morning.  Jenn popped her head in my room said “hey! Are you ready to go?”

In a haste I dropped the small container I was holding and rushed to my computer to sit down. “Uh, no, I .. uh, you can go catch the subway first… “ I said while shuffling the papers around on my desk. “I’ll meet you in class because I finished my homework kind of late…  so I’m still trying to gather all my stuff together. “

If T and M were here, they would say both say two words.

Bull Shit.

First of all, I had finished my homework two days ago

Second, I was holding my eyeshadow.. container.

What exactly makes me so self conscious at the fact that I am grooming myself remains an enigma still after so long. But that is another story.

Graduate school is definitely much more demanding and time consuming.  Endless amount of papers, readings tests, meetings… and it does wear me out to a certain extent.  But every Thursday, no matter how little sleep I get the night before, I would force my lazy soul to wake up 10 minutes before I usually do, and dress well for class.  I guess it’s a treat to celebrate the onset of my weekend… of more studying.

With that said, I’m off to enjoy my weekend.

Weather talk

They say it rains one out of every three days in Boston. This is certainly true. I have never worn rainboots so many times within a month's span.  They've become my go to shoes.

Unfortunately mine have an uncanny resemblance to fish market footwear. I definitely need something more fashionable... leather.

Along that same note, I haven't quite gotten used to the fact that it rains in warm weather.  In California, I was accustomed to hauling out my clothes akin to sleeping bags when rainy season arrived.  If I do that here, I'd get soaked from the rain and my own sweat.  Back home, winter wear was equivalent to layering everything we possibly owned, while hoping and praying that the sun will come out soon. People collectively dress cute here, even in dreary weather. Skirts or shorts with rainboots. Hmm...  I need to understand how this concept works. It's interesting.

I've tried not to let weather designate my plans.  But yesterday was a pretty big fail.  Come seven  I was supposed to attend a pretty exclusive event with my friend from home. But after taking a glance outside,  I let the California laziness wash over me.  Not without a fight though.  I got to the point where I actually put on my contacts and took out my umbrella.  Still, my night ended well. Hot chocolate and a movie on a rainy Friday night was the best way to go for a lazy person's soul.

Four-tion's

It’s been about one month since I moved to Boston and other then my previous measly entry, I haven’t really updated this blog much. No worries, I haven’t forgotten you ole’ blogspot.

I have a lot to talk about, but naturally when I actually sit myself down to type, my mind goes blank. So I guess I’ll talk about today.

Two hours have passed since I woke up, and I have already gone through revelation, submission, witnessed deception, and procrastination.

Revelation. I’m pretty happy to say that my internal map/compass has been doing its duties. I’m not as disoriented as I thought. If you ask me now, I pretty much have the green line down pat like a nursery rhyme. Major bus routes too. I’ve conquered the public transportation… somewhat. All I need now is a library card to prove my residence. My classes are interesting times 100. Our health system is…. well.. let’s say a string of Christmas lights that when plugged in are beautifully lit…. except it’s all tangled up with missing bulbs.  Unfortunately there’s no Santa Claus in the healthcare system to magically straighten out the knots. You can hire that guy next door to do it for you, but it’s gonna cost money, and people will laugh at your laziness. Better take some time to figure it out yourself America.

Land of apple pies and hotdogs.

Mmm blueberry coffee.

This leads to the topic of submission. I don’t know if it’s the lame duck in me, but despite the plethora of Dunkin Donuts here… I haven't made a run there yet… until today. The concept of donuts and coffee are really not that enticing to me. Those of you that know I'm a sweet tooth might be shocked, but donuts just never caught on to my liking. I’m not a fan of coffee either. So I’m not sure how I ended up in the store 30 minutes ago. But I’m glad I did. My naiveness had me thinking they only sold donuts as their main non-liquid sustenance. DUH. I got myself a Chicken Sandwich (on an “everything” bagel) and a blueberry iced coffee. The man was really nice when I asked him whether the coffee flavors applied to all coffee drinks… and what people usually ordered. I had a horrible image in my head where all hell would break loose and every customer/staff member would turn and point at me in laughter “SHE HASN”T BEEN TO DUNKIN DONUTS BEFORE.” but no.

“The combo? ok so a medium iced coffee right?” "err.. sure".. My bill came out to be 40cents more. The asian in me asked.. wait, that’s 40 cents more then the combo. “you got a medium coffee not a small”. Darn sales tactic.

So then I jaywalk across four huge roads with ongoing traffic (the true Bostonian way) and manage to jam myself into the subway door right before it closed.

No one would know I was actually from the west coast with that kind of aggression.

Deception. For the month I’ve been here, I’ve only seen one guy with a skateboard. Today I saw my second. The B line was “empty” today. Basically this means that all seats are still taken, and I’m still wedged in the corner. But I’m not breathing on someone’s shoulder. And my back isn’t pressed against some unidentifiable body part. The guy in front of me has straggly, “I whip my hair back and forth” type of hair. He’s wearing plaid and he has a hot pink skateboard. You think your sooo cool. He picks up his iphone and of course I have to stare at it because I’m dying to know what kind of song he listens to. And to my surprise, the background on his phone is a picture of him smiling next to a picture of an older female, in a medical mask… on a hospital bed? Deception. The subway jerks to a stop. And two girls straight out from urban outfitter ads walk in. raybans, ankle boots the whole shebang. They decide to invade my bubble and continue their conversation. It’s about how she always has dreams where (this is LITERALLY WORD FOR WORD) people are near her when she needs to go “poop”.

They both break out in giggles.
I almost spat out my chicken sandwich.

Luckily, my stop came. And I squeezed my way out.

Procrastination. I’m sitting in the library right now, still eating my chicken sandwich even though the sign to my right  states “Please don’t bring food into the library”. There are five people studying in my plain view. The one on my left is fiddling with his iphone. The guy in front of me is working on a crossword. That girl is spending more time playing with her hair then reading. But I mean. We are in the library right? It’s the thought that counts.

In all seriousness though …. I need to start studying.
Sorry, for the abrupt ending.